Valeria of the Red Brotherhood (circa "Red Nails") Medium Human Female 16th level Fighter Hit Dice: 16d10 +48 (144 hit points) Inititiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Imp. Init.) Speed: 30 ft. Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex,  +1 dodge) Attacks: Longsword +20/+15/+10/+5 Melee; Dagger +19/+14/+9/+4 Damage: Longsword  1d8+5; Dagger 1d4+3 Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 5ft Saves: Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +7 Attributes: Str 17, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14 Skills: Appraise +5, Balance +12, Bluff +4, Swim +22,, Climb +22, Profession (Sailor) +11 Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Dirty Fighting, Weapon Focus (Longsword), Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (Longsword), Spring Attack, Expertise, Improved Disarm, Whirlwind Attack, Improved Initiative, weapon specialization (Longsword), Power Attack, Cleave, Close Quarters Fighting, Expert Tactician Climate/Terrain: The High Seas Organization: Solitary, Crew Challenge Rating: 16 Treasure: None Alignment: Chaotic Evil Advancement: by character class

Conan Tolkemec Tascela Olmec

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"She was tall, full bodied and large-limbed, with compact shoulders.  Her whole figure reflected an unusual strength, without detracting from  the femininity of her appearance.  She was all woman, in spite of her bearing and her garments.  The latter were incongruous, in view of her present environs.  Instead of a skirt, she wore short, wide legged silk breeches, which ceased a hand's breadth short of her knees, and were upheld by a wide silken sash worn as a girdle.  Flaring topped boots of soft leather came almost to her knees, and a low-necked, wide collared, wide sleeved silk shirt completed her costume.  One one shapely hip she wore a straight double edged sword, and on the other a long dirk.  Her unruly golden hair, cut square at her shoulders, was confined by a band of crimson satin."                               ~Red Nails, Robert E. Howard Out of all the women Conan was enamored with, Valeria is probably closest to Conan in background and temperament.  A tall, golden-haired woman, she has been a pirate on the Western Ocean and a mercenary on the southern boarder of Stygia.   A true pirate, she is hard hearted enough to administer a lashing to a treacherous servant woman.  Her personality, as Howard noted, showed the effects of "a life where pain and torment were daily happenings." Valeria wishes to be self-sufficient, dependent only on her sword-arm and her wits.  However, as a beautiful woman living mostly among men, she can't help attracting a number of unwarrented suitors.  She is forced to flee her company of mercenaries on the Stygian border after sticking a knife into an overly-amorous suitor.  Previously her freebooting days were ended when she jumped ship to escape the unwanted advances of Red Ortho, a fellow pirate. Combat Valeria fights with her sword or dagger mostly.   She fights dirty and will do what it takes to win a fight.  She is skillful enough wiht a sword to fight with "a finesse of swordplay that dazzled and bewildered her antagonists before it slew them."

Valeria's relationship with Conan is strained at first.  When he attempts to give her a helping hand after she fled the mercenary camp, she drew her sword on him.  But she soon begins to warm to him, and by the end of "Red Nails" Conan has won her over completely.  Perhaps Valeria was impressed by his ability to balance his attractions toward her with his respect for her strong-willed personality.

below is the original cover of Weird Tales, October 1936, featuring Valeria being tortured.  Art is by Margaret Brundage.

Robert E. Howard's story, "Red Nails" was first published in Weird Tales in July, August, September and October of 1936.  The story can also be found in the Ace/Lancer paperback "Conan the Warrior"; the Donald M. Grant Limited Edition "Red Nails", and the Gnome Press collection "The Sword of Conan".   It can also be found in the Berkley/Putnam collection "Red Nails".  Currently in print is the British volume "The Conan Chronicles Volume II: The Hour of the Dragon" which is part of Millennium's "Fantasy Masterworks" series. "Red Nails" can also be found in the Sci Fi Book Club "The Essential Conan." This is the last Conan story Robert E. Howard wrote, although it was not the last one published.  Conan and Valeria find themselves trapped in a weird, fully-enclosed city inhabited by two peoples locked in a desperate war of extermination.  Though Conan and Valeria offer their services to one side in the war, Valeria soon finds herself the object of the seemingly lesbian gaze of the King's wife, Tascela.  Don't get your hopes up though.  It turns out she wants Valeria for something else entirely.  But you do get treated to a nicely prolonged and explicit whipping of a villainous girl sent to drug Valeria.   Later, Valeria is manhandled by King Olmec in some rather undignified ways.

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